Hot air heating plant



June 30, 1942.

I. F. WARD 2,288,258 HOT AIR HEATING PLANT Filed Oct. 29, 1940 4 S heets-Sheet 1 fi w m Q I r v Q N N Q li a I. W and INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS. I

June 30, 1942.

4 Sheefs-Sheet 2 Filed 0st. 29, 1940 QNY QMY INVENTOR. I

ATTORNEYS.

June 30, 1942. D

HOT AIR HEATINGJLANT F'iied Oct. 29, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEYS I. F. WARD HOT AIR HEATING PLANT June 30, 1942.

Filed 00 29, 1940 4 Shee ts-She et 4 IN V EN TOR ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 30, 1942 STTES FATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

The objects of this invention are to provide a novel and efiicient heating plant whereby the products of combustion, which are Wasted, in the ordinary heating plant, may be utilized adequately, fuel costs being reduced. Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby a room may be rapidly and healthfully heated, without over-burning the air in the room, a proper circulation being afforded, the air passing rapidly through the heating plant, and being quickly warmed and circulated through the medium of air-swept portions of the plant. A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the class described, wherein the heating plant will be relieved readily and rapidly of its heat, the danger of conflagration being avoided, and the effective life of the plant being increased. A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the device may heat effectively and satisfactorily by radiation and by circulation.

With the above and other objects in View, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the in- Vention.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 shows in longitudinal vertical section, a heating plant constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section taken on a cutting plane at right angles to that of Fig. 1;

Figs. 3 and 4 are sections taken, respectively, on the lines 33 and 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section showing a modified form of the invention, on the line 55 of Fig. 6;

Figs. 6 and 7 are sections taken, respectively, on the lines 66 and 'I-'I of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a vertical section showing another modification; 1

Fig. 9 is a cross section on the line 99 of Fig. 8.

In this application, the word heater is to be taken as including a stove, furnace, or any analogous structure.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, the heater is shown as comprising a body or outer wall I, closed at its upper end by a top H, supplied with an outlet I8. The outer wall I and the top H form a unit. The outer wall I and the top H throw off heat by radiation. Withinthe body I is disposed an intermediate wall 3, closed at its upper end by a ceiling I9, of upwardly convex construction. The intermediatewall 3 and the ceiling I9 form a unit. Within the intermediate wall 3 is disposed an inner wall 2, closed at its upper end by an upwardly convex ceiling IS. The inner wall 2 and the ceiling I6 form a unit.

Throughout the major portion of their extent, as to cross section, the outer wall I, the inner wall 2 and the intermediate wall 3 are of cylindrical form, but at the forward side of the heater, the outer wall, the intermediate wall and the inner wall are joined to a front 4, which may be fiat. The heating means may be of any desired sort. As shown, but not of necessity, it comprises a grate 5 within the inner wall 2, near the lower end thereof. Above the grate 5 is located an inner combustion chamber 6. Access is had to the inner combustion chamber 6 by a stoking door I on the front 4. The inner wall 2 has a bottom 8. The bottom 8 and the grate 5 form an ash pit 9, to which access is had by way of a cleanout door II] on the front 4.

Between the inner wall 2 and the intermediate wall 3 there exists an updraft space II in which air is heated. The updraft air space II is open at its lower end. Between the intermediate wall 3 and the outer wall I there is an outer combustion chamber I2. The outer combustion chamber I2 is closed by a bottom I4 connecting the lower end of the intermediate wall 3 with the lower end of the outer wall I. The products of combustion pass from the inner combustion chamber 6 into the outer combustion chamber I2 by way of thimbles I5 connected to the inner wall 2 and the intermediate wall 3, and extended across the updraft air space II. The thimbles I5 may be located adjacent to the front 4 of the heater and near the lower edge of the upwardly convexed ceiling I6, which closes the inner combustion chamber 6 at its top.

The updraft air space II extends as shown at 20 between the ceilings I6 and I9, but the spaces II and 20 in fact form but one space, extended from the bottom of the heater to the top thereof. The spaces II and 20 form a continuous conduit angling at the top from the circumference toward the center in an upward direction. The same observation is true respecting the outer combustion chamber I2. Intermediate its ends, and nearer to the lower end of the heater than to the upper end thereof, the outer downdraft combustion space I2 has an outlet 2I' for the products of combustion, which may be a pipe or stack.

The products of combustion, proceeding from the inner combustion chamber 6, pass by way of the thimbles I into the downdraft outer combustion chamber I2 and find an exit through the outlet 2I. The outer downdraft combustion chamber I2 extends over the ceiling I9, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and consequently there is some circulation of the products of combustion, above the ceiling I9, to heat the air as it moves through the space I I--20 to the opening I8, and to accomplish other objects hereinafter set forth. Cold air enters the bottom of the updraft space I I and leaves by way of the outlet member IS. The inner side of the ascending body of air is heated from the inner wall 2-I6, and the ascending body of air is heated externally by the intermediate wall 3I9. The outer wall II'I also is heated from the outer combustion chamber I2.

It has been stated hereinbefore that the outer wall I-I'I throws oiT heat by radiation. The inner wall 2I6 and the intermediate wall 3I9 heat by circulation. The entire surfaces of the walls 3I9 and 2IS are swept by the current of air as it passes upwardly through the space II-ED. The air-swept ceilings I6 and I9 constitute a very important feature. The current of air ascending through the outlet I8 in the middle of the top I! creates a suction from the sides to the center of the top I! which also sweeps the heat from its outer surface. This is important, as otherwise heat is held by stagnation, as in the top of the ordinary stove.

Heat in the inner combustion chamber 6 is extracted by the wall 2I6, and heat in the outer combustion chamber I2 is extracted by both walls I'II and 3I9. The outer chamber I2 is spacious sufliciently to allow the products of combustion, in their course from the conduits I5 to the outlet 2|, to travel slowly enough to permit a pooling of heat in the upper portion of the outer combustion chamber I2, and thus the entire surfaces of walls II'I and 3-I9 are heated.

In Figs. 5, 6 and '7, parts hereinbefore described have been designated by numerals already used, with the suifix a. In this form of the invention, the heater is of rectangular cross section. The ceilings I6a and I9a are fiat, instead of being convexed.

In Figs. 8 and 9, parts hereinbefore described have been designated by numerals already used, with the suffix b. This form is useful when the device is equipped with an automatic stoker or with a burner for gas or oil fuel consumption.

The door 112, corresponding to the door I of Fig. 2, is small. The inner wall 2b, the intermediate wall 3b and the updraft air space I I 17 extend completely across the front of the heater. A sleeve leads from the combustion chamber 6b to the door 11). The thimbles I5b are elongated vertically. The intermediate portion of a brace 5|, in the updraft air space I Ib, is secured to the inner wall 2b, the ends of the brace being secured to the intermediate wall 3b.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

A heater of the class described, comprising a body or outer wall encasing the combustion chamber, and a horizontally circuitous air flue within the combustion chamber, the air flue being defined by inner and outer walls extending from bottom to top of the combustion chamber and being spaced apart throughout their entire surface area, the air flue and its defining walls surrounding the firebox or burner in the bottom of the combustion chamber and converging upwardly over the firebox to the center of the top of the outer or body wall of the heater, the air flue having a cold air inlet at its lowermost extremity encircling the firebox and a hot air outlet at its uppermost extremity in the center of the top of the heater, the inner air-flue wall being imperforate in its top and the outer airfiue wall having an opening in its top in conjunction with an opening in the top of the heater body, the opening being the outlet for the airfiue, the combustion chamber being divided by the air-flue into inner and outer portions, there being egress means for the products of combustion to pass through the air-flue from the inner to the outer portions of the combustion chamber, there being an outlet for the products of combustion low in the body wall of the heater, both inner and outer air-flue walls throwing off heat by circulation and the body of the heater throwing off heat by radiation.

IRA F. WARD. 

